Leveling the Playing Field: Accounting for Academic Productivity During the COVID‐19 Pandemic

Arora, Vineet M.; Wray, Charlie M; O’Glasser, Avital Y.; Shapiro, Mark B.

doi:10.12788/jhm.3558

Cited by 20 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…Both emerging commentaries 23–25,37 and our phenomenological study demonstrate that many in the field of medical education are ready for change. In this study, members of the medical education community communicated their desire for a drastic re‐imagining of what it means to be productive and a greater ability to set healthy boundaries, as well as a level of work‐life balance, that makes sense for them.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 74%

“…9,[20][21][22][23] The pandemic is serving as a living laboratory, forcing the medical education community to experiment with reconfigured personal and professional boundaries. Although discussions about the transformational effects of COVID-19 on professional values and wellness are gaining traction within the medical education community, 9,[23][24][25][26][27][28][29] it is unclear whether the COVID-19 pandemic will be a blip of disruption or an event of global transformation. Amidst competing narratives calling for either a 'return to normality' or for a 'new normal', our purpose was to examine this liminal space.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A phenomenological exploration of the impact of COVID‐19 on the medical education community

et al. 2022

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Introduction The COVID‐19 pandemic has caused unprecedented stress to the medical education community, potentially worsening problems like burnout and work‐life imbalance that its members have long been grappling with. However, the collective struggle sparked by the pandemic could generate the critical reflection necessary for transforming professional values and practices for the better. In this hermeneutic phenomenological study, we explore how the community is adapting—and even reconceptualising —their personal and professional roles amidst the COVID‐19 crisis. Method Between April and October 2020, we conducted 27 (17F, 10M) semi‐structured interviews with medical trainees (8), physicians (8), graduate students (3) and PhD scientists (8) working in medical education in Canada, the United States and Switzerland. Data analysis involved a variety of strategies, including coding for van Manen's four lifeworld existentials, reflexive writing and multiple team meetings. Results Participants experienced grief related to the loss of long‐established personal and professional structures and boundaries, relationships and plans for the future. However, experiences of grief were often conflicting. Some participants also experienced moments of relief , perceiving some losses as metaphorical permissions slips to slow down and focus on their well‐being. In turn, many reflected on the opportunity they were being offered to re‐imagine the nature of their work. Discussion Participants' experiences with grief, relief and opportunity resonate with Ratcliffe's account of grief as a process of relearning the world after a significant loss. The dismantling of prior life structures and possibilities incited in participants critical reflection on the nature of the medical education community's professional practices. Participants demonstrated their desire for more flexibility and autonomy in the workplace and a re‐adjustment of the values and expectations inherent to their profession. On both individual and systems levels, the community must ensure that long‐standing calls for wellness and work‐life integration are realised—and persist—after the pandemic is over.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 74%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A phenomenological exploration of the impact of COVID‐19 on the medical education community

et al. 2022

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“…Lastly, data reported in the present study were collected prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Factors such as social-distancing restrictions and the transition from office-based to home-based work environments have been linked to disruptions in productivity across disciplines [ 56 ]. As such, it is likely that the psychosocial stressors experienced by mental health researchers, such as those involving the work-life balance have increased as a result of COVID-19 restrictions.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Researching the researchers: psychological distress and psychosocial stressors according to career stage in mental health researchers

et al. 2022

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Background Although there are many benefits associated with working in academia, this career path often involves structural and organisational stressors that can be detrimental to wellbeing and increase susceptibility to psychological distress and mental ill health. This exploratory study examines experiences of work-related psychosocial stressors, psychological distress, and mental health diagnoses among mental health researchers. Methods This international cross-sectional study involved 207 mental health researchers who were post-graduate students or employed in research institutes or university settings. Work-related psychosocial stressors were measured by the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire III (COPSOQ III). Psychological distress was assessed using the Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). Thoughts of suicide was assessed using an adaptation of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). History of mental health diagnoses was assessed through a custom questionnaire. Pearson’s chi-square test of independence was used to compare mental health diagnoses and suicidal ideation across career stages. The association between work-related psychosocial stressors and psychological distress was conducted using multivariate linear regression controlling for key demographic, employment-related and mental health factors. Results Differences in ‘demands at work’ and the ‘work-life balance’ domain were lowest among support staff (p = 0.01). Overall, 13.4% of respondents met the threshold for severe psychological distress, which was significantly higher in students compared to participants from other career stages (p = 0.01). Among the subgroup of participants who responded to the question on mental health diagnoses and suicidal ideation (n = 152), 54% reported a life-time mental health diagnosis and 23.7% reported suicidal ideation since their academic career commencement. After controlling for key covariates, the association between the ‘interpersonal relations and leadership’ domain and psychological distress was attenuated by the mental health covariates included in model 3 (β = −0.23, p = 0.07). The association between the remaining work-related psychosocial stressors and psychological distress remained significant. Conclusions Despite working in the same environment, research support staff report experiencing significantly less psychosocial stressors compared to postgraduate students, early-middle career researchers and senior researchers. Future research that targets key modifiable stressors associated with psychological distress including work organization and job content, and work-life balance could improve the overall mental health and wellbeing of mental health researchers.

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“…The impact of female academic advancement has been exacerbated since 2020 because of COVID-19. Initial studies have shown that academic productivity and advancement for women have suffered because of new challenges in this pandemic period [ 17 – 19 ], with the long-term effects yet to be determined.…”

Section: Why Is This An Important Topic?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Promoting gender equity and inclusion through allyship

Ayyala

Coley

2022

Pediatr Radiol

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Leveling the Playing Field: Accounting for Academic Productivity During the COVID‐19 Pandemic

Cited by 20 publications

References 7 publications

A phenomenological exploration of the impact of COVID‐19 on the medical education community

A phenomenological exploration of the impact of COVID‐19 on the medical education community

Researching the researchers: psychological distress and psychosocial stressors according to career stage in mental health researchers

Promoting gender equity and inclusion through allyship

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